'The Lovely Bones'

Rated PG-13, 136 minutes

January 21, 2010|By Naomi Prale, Niles West

Based on the best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, director Peter Jackson's adaptation of "The Lovely Bones" does its best to mirror the book, but its strengths are where the film tries to be unique. The suspenseful film focuses more on the aftermath of the murder of 14-year-old Susie Salmon, as opposed to centering on how Susie learns how to interact with her family and others in the afterlife.

Susie is played by the remarkable Saoirse Ronan, who keeps the movie from falling apart. In fact, this film truly shines in the acting. The rest of the cast -- Stanley Tucci, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz and Rose McIver -- turn in notable performances, too.

Also extraordinary is the picturesque "in-between," or the realm between life on Earth and life in heaven, where Susie lives after her murder. As opposed to regular life, the in-between is a fantasia filled with vivid color.

Overall, the film does Sebold's novel justice, but it doesn't do a great job of compressing all the events of the book into a short time. Still, the top-notch acting brought this reviewer to tears twice.